


Someone reaching back for me

by Petra



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Epistolary, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-14
Updated: 2013-06-14
Packaged: 2017-12-15 00:32:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/843239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Petra/pseuds/Petra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Sidney is three, he wants to be a hockey player and a superhero.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Someone reaching back for me

**Author's Note:**

> This story is dedicated to [tiny obsessive children everywhere](http://asofterpass.tumblr.com/post/50169115866) and is a work of fiction. Thanks to [](http://jamjar.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**jamjar**](http://jamjar.dreamwidth.org/) for encouragement in all facets including terrible French, to [](http://imperfect-tense.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**imperfect_tense**](http://imperfect-tense.dreamwidth.org/) and [](http://katarik.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**katarik**](http://katarik.dreamwidth.org/) for pre-reading, and to [](http://lannamichaels.dreamwidth.org/profile)[**lannamichaels**](http://lannamichaels.dreamwidth.org/) and [](http://scintilla10.dreamwidth.org/profile)[](http://scintilla10.dreamwidth.org/)**scintilla10** for beta-reading.

When Sidney is three, he wants to be a hockey player and a superhero.

He changes his mind when he's six and his friends all say superheroes aren't real, and even then he doesn't give up on the dream that he could make them real.

When he's eight, he realizes his friends were wrong. He's watching the news about a series of weird crimes in Toronto and an unknown Good Samaritan who saved somebody and left before the police got there. The most recent incident happened just in range of a security camera.

In the camera's recording, the Good Samaritan's face is covered but he trips as he's leaving and catches himself before he falls in a way Sidney recognizes, a particular jink to the side and twist Sidney has seen a few times before, and then the man on the camera is gone.

He's sure he's right the next time he sees the Pittsburgh Penguins play on TV and Mario Lemieux almost falls, then catches himself in that weird way.

Sidney doesn't say anything about it to anyone, because no one would believe him, till Mario Lemieux, of all people, visits his hockey program late in the spring. Sidney tries to skate his best in front of such a great player who's also a superhero.

Then Sidney loses his balance and has to catch himself before he wipes out on the ice, and somehow he manages the same weird move he saw on the camera, the twist and jink he has memorized like he has so many people's moves memorized, and he's on his feet and skating away.

"Nice move, kid," Mario Lemieux says.

"Thanks," Sidney says, sure he's blushing. "I saw you use it when you were in Toronto."

As soon as the words are out of his mouth, he's horrified. The game where it happened wasn't in Toronto.

Mario Lemieux stares at him for a second and asks, "Did you?" softly, like he remembers almost falling down that one time, like maybe he saw himself on the news.

"Maybe not, sorry," Sidney says, and skates away. He can't even look at anybody for the rest of the day and he has his eyes closed for the whole assembly at school while Mario Lemieux is speaking.

It takes him weeks to work up the courage to write a letter.

* * * * *

[July 1995]

Dear Mr. Lemieux,

Thank you for visiting my team and my school! You are my hero. I want to play hockey just like you.

Love,  
Sidney Crosby

P. S. You said when life gives you lemons make lemonade! Ill remember that!

The lemon juice that shows up when the paper is heated says: "I won't tell anybody ever I promise."

__________

[September 1995]

Dear SIDNEY CROSBY,

Thank you for writing!

Here is a signed photo. Keep supporting the NHL!

[Stamp reading "Mario Lemieux"]

Also enclosed in the envelope is a brochure on _Vitamin C and Your Health_ with a piece of tracing paper folded up very small inside it. The tracing paper has instructions on how to make a code that's not easy to break.

 

__________

[October 1995]

Dear Mr. Lemieux,

Thank you for the photo! It is in my room with my trophies they are not as nice as yours.

Sincerely,  
Sidney Crosby

Also in the envelope is a sheet written to look like hockey stats that when decoded reads: im so glad your not mad at me be careful out there

__________

[January 1996]

Dear Sidney,

Everyone starts small. If you keep working, you won't end small.

Sincerely,  
[Stamp reading "Mario Lemieux"]

In the edges and back pages of a Visit Pittsburgh brochure, and hidden among the street numbers in the inside map: Youre observant that is great make sure you keep studying hard and training hard hockey and other things might not be what youre best at when you grow up

__________

[October 1996]

Dear Mr. Lemieux,

Good luck in the new season! We don't get all the games but I watch whenever I am not too busy doing my homework and practicing. I try hard at everything I do, like you do, and I got MVP last season and my mom had lots of copies of the photo so I sent you one but I didn't sign it. :)

Sincerely,  
Sidney Crosby

On the back of the photo of a little boy with a trophy is a Post-It note with more numbers: tell your friend mr jagr he needs to be careful getting into fights on ice there was a news piece about Toronto about a H who punches like him

__________

[January 1997]

Dear Sidney,

Good luck to you and your team! Here are some photos for your teammates to remind you all to work hard and play hard.

Sincerely,  
[Stamp reading "Mario Lemieux"]

In a series of small pieces of paper between several photos, the code reads: J knows better most of the time and I have his back like he has mine. No more Toronto h jobs for us for a while but the Leafs will be ok without us.

__________

[February 1997]

Dear Mr. Lemieux,

Here are thank you notes from my team for the photos. We all like them alot.

Sincerely,  
Sidney Crosby

Among the thank you notes in assorted script: how do you learn to be a H. i pay attention in school and on the ice but it doesnt seem like enough

__________

[August 1997]

Dear Sidney,

Everybody knows that the best hockey players are in the NHL, but you may not know that some of the best players in the NHL went to college before they started playing. This gave them time to perfect their games and broaden their minds. Since hockey is not just about brute force, players who learn to think better learn to play better.

Sincerely,  
[Stamp reading "Mario Lemieux"]

At the bottom of the page, it looks like a printer went slightly haywire and added two lines of random numbers and symbols that, decoded, read: learning to be a *h is like learning ^every#thing else: !one day at a time!& you have (plenty of timexo@

__________

[September 1998]

Dear Mr. Lemieux,

I know you are very busy and my mom says I should stop writing to you so much but if you have time I was wondering how you play with people who don't like you or against people who really don't like you. I know I can't make everyone like me and I hate it when they really don't like me. My coach says keep my chin up and I keep my chin up and my dad says keep a stiff upper lip but it's hard sometimes.

Sincerely,  
Sidney Crosby

In the margin of a newspaper clipping about a peewee hockey game: is it easier when you have friends who are hs I hope it is.

__________

[December 1998]

Dear Sidney,

The best way to deal with people who don't like you is to stick with the people who do like you. No one can play hockey all by himself, not even me, and you need your teammates as much as they need you. Make sure they know how much you respect them, cheer them on, and they'll cheer you on too.

You can't make the people who dislike you like you, no matter how hard you try. All you can do is be better than them, in what you do, what you say, and how you play.

Sincerely,  
[Actual Signature]

On the back is a Post-It with code: do I need to do another assembly at your school?

__________

[January 1999]

Dear Mr. Lemieux,

Thank you so much for writing back. I support my teammates as much as I can, and they support me, too. The other teams can be kind of mean and sometimes their parents are really mean, but I have my friends on my team and they take care of me and so does my family.

I try to do my best even when it's hard. When it's hard sometimes I look at your letters and it helps.

Sincerely,  
Sidney

In very small numbers on the back, almost illegible from erasing and rewriting in pencil: it wouldnt make the mean adults change I can be better than them too

__________

[May 1999]

Dear Sidney,

One of the hardest things for everybody, kids and adults, is dealing with people who never learned why they should behave themselves. Keep setting a good example in your games and your schoolwork, and some of them will learn from you.

Sincerely,  
[Stamp reading "Mario Lemieux"]

At the bottom of the page, printer gibberish that includes numbers that decipher to: if t@hey get #too mean!%& you need a h e@mail me @weozep@yahoo.com$ or ! write again

__________

[June 1999]

From: 8700787@yahoo.com  
To: weozep@yahoo.com  
Subject: thank you

Dear Mr. Lemieux,

I feel like I start all my letters to you by saying thank you because it's what I want to say to you all the time so that's all right.

I know you're too busy to visit and it would look weird anyway.

I don't need a h. I'm fine. The parents are just mean and dumb.

Can I say thank you again?

I don't have alot of time on the computer and I have to do my homework but

THANK YOU!!!!!

Sincerely,  
Sidney C.

__________

[July 1999]

From: weozep@yahoo.com  
To: 8700787@yahoo.com  
Subject: you're welcome

Dear Sidney,

Mean, dumb adults can be dangerous.

I don't think most of the people who say "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" have had a lot of injuries in their lives. What doesn't kill you gives you a chance to recover, but it doesn't make the hurt part strong just because you got hurt there. You have to figure out a way to work around the hurt, so sometimes the rest of you gets stronger to compensate.

Not always.

Please promise me if someone hurts you, you'll tell your parents, your coach, or your teachers.

Sincerely,  
Mario

__________

[August 1999]

From: 8700787@yahoo.com  
To: weozep@yahoo.com  
Subject: Re: you're welcome

Dear Mr. Lemieux,

I promise I will tell someone if I get hurt.

Mostly they just yell and I ignore them. People yell at you, too, so I know you know how it feels. It's not the same thing as hurting but it doesn't feel good at all.

I wish there was an NHL team in Halifax for a lot of reasons but it would be good to have some hs close by sometimes. Maybe when I grow up I can fix that.

Sincerely,  
Sidney C.

__________

[June 2001]

From: weozep@yahoo.com  
To: 8700787@yahoo.com  
Subject: Re: Re: you're welcome

Dear Sidney,

I'm sorry it took me so long to respond to your last letter.

People yell all kinds of things. I hope some of them are supportive. When people say things that are lies, I can ignore them. It's when they're almost right that it hurts the most.

When I get upset, I talk to Nathalie and my friends about what the fans who aren't MY fans said. I tell her about your letters and she wants me to send you her best wishes. I hope you have friends who listen as well as she does and remind you that the people saying nasty things about you are wrong.

What classes do you like in school? What do you like to do in the off season?

Sincerely,  
Mario

__________

[June 2001]

From: 8700787@yahoo.com  
To: weozep@yahoo.com  
Subject: Re: Re: Re: you're welcome

Dear Mr. Lemieux,

I hope you are feeling better.

Please tell Mrs. Lemieux I said thank you very much.

In school I like math. In the off season sometimes I play baseball.

I have friends but sometimes I can't tell them everything because it sounds like I'm bragging and I don't want to brag, and there are things I can't tell them because they're secret. Not just the h secret but that's the big one and I'd never tell anybody because it's not my secret.

I guess you shouldn't tell Mrs. Lemieux about all of this letter. Unless she knows. Does she know? Does it help to have somebody you can tell?

Sincerely,  
Sidney C.

__________

[August 2001]

From: weozep@yahoo.com  
To: 8700787@yahoo.com  
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: you're welcome

Dear Sidney,

I couldn't do everything I do without Nathalie. She knows and she supports me, and she supports you, too.

Mostly I feel better. Sometimes I have to work through the hard days, but I know my team needs me, so I keep going.

Math is a great subject. It's part of so many interesting fields like engineering. You could study that in college if you decided to go.

I bet you're good at baseball because of your hand-eye coordination.

Sincerely,  
Mario

__________

[March 2002]

From: 8700787@yahoo.com  
To: weozep@yahoo.com  
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: you're welcome

Dear Mr. Lemieux,

Please give Mrs. Lemieux my regards and let her know I thank her for her support too.

I might study engineering if I go to college but I would rather play hockey. It's good to have a fallback position though.

My parents are sending me to Shattuck-Saint Mary's boarding school next year because they want me to play, too, and they think there might be fewer parents who don't know how to act there. I hope things are easier there.

Not the work, I mean. Or the hockey. The other things. Work should be hard, and I always work hard at hockey.

Do you know anyone there? Is anyone on their staff a h?

Sincerely,  
Sidney C.

__________

[April 2002]

From: 8700787@yahoo.com  
To: weozep@yahoo.com  
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: you're welcome

Monsieur Lemieux,

Mon prof du francais nous exige ecrire un lettre a une personne qui j'admire y n'il y a du personne qui j'admire mieux que vous. Je vous prie acceptez mes sentiments distingues. Mes regrettes en avance pour mes fautes grammatiques. Je ne sais pas comme ecrire les accents dans un email. Je travaille tres fort pour apprendre le Français, mais c'est tres difficile, et j'oublie du mes devoirs de trop parce que j'ai un match d'hockey.

Je voudrais etre un hockeyeur apres du lycee. Mon ambition est etre hockeyeur en le NHL comme vous. Vous etes mon heroes. Avez-vous du conseils pour un jeune homme qui adorer le hockey? J'ai joue du hockey depuis que j'ai trois annes et je practique tous les jours. En ma cave, j'ai un sechoir a linge que je utilise quand je ne peux pas etre en la glace.

J'attends votre reponse.

Votre soupirant,  
Sidney Crosby

[For people who do not read Bad French:

Mr. Lemieux,

My French teacher requires us to write a letter to a person I admire and there is no one I admire more than you. Please accept my polite sentiments. My apologies in advance for my grammatical faults. I don't know how to write accents in an email. I work very hard to learn French, but it is very hard, and I forget my homework too much because I have a hockey game.

I would like to be a hockey player after high school. My ambition is to be a hockey player in the NHL like you. You are my hero. Do you have advice for a young man who adores hockey? I played hockey since I was three years old and I practice every day. In my basement, I have a dryer that I use when I cannot be on the ice.

I await your response.

Your romantic admirer,  
Sidney Crosby]

__________

[May 2002]

From: weozep@yahoo.com  
To: 8700787@yahoo.com  
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: you're welcome

Dear Sidney,

Bonne chance avec le francais! It can be tres difficile, but keep practicing. It can also be tres utile dans le NHL.

I've heard your name a few times in the news. All good things! I hope I can see one of your games soon, maybe at your new school.

I have met a few people who work at Shattuck-St. Mary's. None of them are hs now, but some have been in the past. They're good people and they'll help you develop.

Remember that wherever you are and whatever you're doing, the most important thing is to work with the people around you. As you meet all your new classmates and teammates, think about what it would be like to play against them. They'll know you at least as well as you know them, or maybe better, if you're in the news again.

Some people say to keep your friends close and your enemies closer. I keep my friends close as much as I can, but sometimes trades happen and I have to make new friends. I make sure I keep in touch with old friends wherever they are. Sometimes it's hard when we're on different teams, but it's always worth the trouble. As for my enemies, I learn as much about them as I can and I'm sure they do the same for me.

Sincerely,  
Mario

__________

[October 2002]

From: 8700787@yahoo.com  
To: weozep@yahoo.com  
Subject: working hard!

Dear Mr. Lemieux,

I hope that you and Mrs. Lemieux are well. I keep meaning to write to you and then I don't have any time, and I'm sorry. I'm sure you get a lot of letters, so I hope you don't miss mine much.

Leaving home was hard and I feel like I never have time to study enough but I am making some very good friends. I told one of them about writing to you and he said he didn't believe me that you wrote back with real letters instead of form letters, and then I realized I hadn't written in months.

I love my new school. The scouts are kind of intimidating and I try not to pay attention to them. I know all I can do is play my best.

Two of my instructors talked to me about being a h, and the things I don't know yet. I started self-defense classes with one of them because I don't know how to fight and I only know how to dodge on skates.

It's too bad being a h doesn't happen on the ice. I'd be great at it, then. I don't know if I'll ever be good enough.

Also have you ever had a friend you wanted to spend time with all the time because I've had friends but most of them I get tired of or they get tired of me, or maybe we're only friends because of hockey. It's nice knowing somebody who doesn't want me to go away but it's weird too.

Sincerely,  
Sidney C.

__________

[October 2002]

From: 8700787@yahoo.com  
To: weozep@yahoo.com  
Subject: Sorry

Dear Mr. Lemieux,

Please ignore the last part of my last email. I don't know what I was thinking and I sent it late at night.

Sincerely,  
Sidney C.

__________

[November 2002]

From: weozep@yahoo.com  
To: 8700787@yahoo.com  
Subject: Re: Working hard!

Dear Sidney,

Your subject line is certainly true. Every time I hear your name, which happens more and more often these days, I'm proud of how hard you work and what you're achieving.

I can't imagine you being bad at anything you put your mind to mastering, and many of your hockey skills will help you if you decide to become a h.

Friendships can be complicated, especially when you're not sure whether someone wants to be friends because you're making a name for yourself, or because they like you. Take each day at a time, and trust people to do what they've done in the past. Anyone who tries to hurt you once will try to do it again, but a true friend will never deliberately hurt you.

Nathalie and I are doing well. She always sends you her best wishes, as do I.

Sincerely,  
Mario

__________

[February 2003]

From: 8700787@yahoo.com  
To: weozep@yahoo.com  
Subject: Re: Re: Working hard!

Dear Mario,

I'm sorry if this question is too personal but how did you know you were in love with Mrs. Lemieux? Everybody keeps telling me I'll just know but I don't know how I'm supposed to know something if it's never happened before. Obviously I love people like my family but I know that's not the same thing.

If the question bothers you please just pretend I never asked it and I won't ask it ever again.

Sincerely,  
Sidney C.

__________

[February 2003]

From: weozep@yahoo.com  
To: 8700787@yahoo.com  
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Working hard!

Dear Sidney,

I don't know how to answer your question better than anybody else has, but I don't mind that you asked.

When I first liked Nathalie, I thought she was perfect. Then I got to know her better and I realized she wasn't perfect because no one is, but I liked her anyway. I wanted to spend time with her, and I was lucky enough that she wanted to spend time with me, too. That was how I figured out I loved her.

Lots of other things happened in between, too, but that was the basic difference between "I like her" and "I love her."

I hope you are as lucky as we are, someday.

Your friend,  
Mario

__________

[April 2003]

From: 8700787@yahoo.com  
To: weozep@yahoo.com  
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Working hard!

Dear Mario,

Thank you. Again. I've been saying thank you since I met you but it never feels like I've said it enough, especially not when you write me wonderful things like your last letter.

Please say thank you to Mrs. Lemieux for me, too.

I am very excited about the midget draft. Soon! If I'm lucky, I'll be in the first round.

I could probably write you a 5000 word essay about all the players but I bet that would be boring because the ones I know about are all Major Juniors and you want people who really play. My teachers say most of my essays are boring anyway.

I'm getting better at the defense classes, but I don't know how much time I'll have for them before the draft or after it depending on where I have to go.

Sincerely,  
Sidney C.

__________

[June 2003]

From: weozep@yahoo.com  
To: 8700787@yahoo.com  
Subject: Congratulations!

Dear Sidney,

You've done some great things. The QMJHL is not going to know what hit it.

Let me know if I can help you in any way, and don't forget to stay in touch with your friends even when you're busy. That's when you need them the most.

Good luck in all of your games!

Sincerely,  
Mario

__________

[February 2004]

From: 8700787@yahoo.com  
To: weozep@yahoo.com  
Subject: Experiment

Dear Mario,

I hope you and Mrs. Lemieux are well.

I don't have questions about any of my games or my teammates that it's fair to ask you, especially when everywhere I look there are scouts watching our games. I know all I can do is play my best and hope that's enough.

That's not all I'm doing, though, and I don't mean my homework--yes, I am working on it, but I wouldn't write to you just to tell you that.

We played Gatineau last week and some of the guys on it know a few of the Senators.

One of them mentioned the whole h thing like it was some kind of a joke, and it made me angry. I didn't tell him how real it is because someone who laughs about it doesn't deserve the truth, but one of his teammates saw me getting mad and talked to me about it.

In Ottawa the juniors get involved sometimes, if they're good enough, when the Sens need a few extra pairs of hands for a h problem.

My team has been good to me and taught me a lot, but it would be great if I could do both things at once. We don't have a lot of trouble in Rimouski and even if we did, we're out of town a lot and we couldn't deal with it. Sometimes I want to try.

I talked to two of my teammates about it and they laughed at me because they don't believe I can fight. I want to prove to them that I mean it, and prove to myself that I'm good enough. If we went out on a Saturday night after a game, I'm sure we could find a way to help somebody.

How do you know when you're ready and how do you handle it when there's something important at home and you're on the road? I feel like I'm wasting time every minute I'm not playing and I could at least be helping people instead of trying to do science in French.

I'm glad the NHL draft doesn't rely on my grades! That would be embarrassing. But I am trying hard.

Sincerely,  
Sidney C.

__________

[February 2004]

From: weozep@yahoo.com  
To: 8700787@yahoo.com  
Subject: Re: Experiment

Dear Sidney,

When I was starting out, I had other people on my team who helped me. They knew what they were doing. Some of them had been working in the business for years, and they stopped me from making the worst mistakes. I had to make some of the little ones so I could learn for myself.

No matter how quiet the city is, it's not safe to be out there on your own with only people who know as little as you do as backup. What could you do if things really went wrong? I know it's different these days and you all have cell phones, but small cities have fewer police officers, too.

I'm concerned about the possibility that you could get hurt. I'm also concerned about what it would do to your reputation if you were caught. It's different on a team with a strong public relations staff and teammates who can make it part of an established image.

No one knows you as a fighter, and it's not part of your strength in the game. Do you want it to be part of how people see you?

You have to make your own decisions about what's important, but if you're not making a difference to anyone, remember what it could do to you if you're arrested.

I know what the risks are every time I go out and I can plan for them. Please keep your fame to the sports section and don't become famous by calling home for bail money.

Sincerely,  
Mario

__________

[February 2004]

From: 8700787@yahoo.com  
To: weozep@yahoo.com  
Subject: Re: Re: Experiment

Dear Mario,

I thought about your last letter a lot and I haven't actually done anything that anybody would call illegal. Sometimes a couple of the guys and I stay out pretty late and if anybody looks like they're going to do something stupid, we're there, we have phones, and we can let somebody know who can help.

A few times it's been helpful, and I think some other times there were these guys who wanted to start a fight and they didn't, because we were there and we gave them nasty looks till they went away.

So I'm being careful.

I hope you're being careful too.

 

Sincerely,  
Sidney C.

__________

[December 2004]

From: weozep@yahoo.com  
To: 8700787@yahoo.com  
Subject: Caution

Dear Sidney,

I'll be as careful as I can.

How many of your teammates have you talked to about the h side of things this season? I'd like to catch one of your games, and while I don't expect to escape their notice, some young men have trouble with discretion. I'm happy to answer questions about one of my careers but the other needs to be off-limits.

Sincerely,  
Mario

__________

[December 2004]

From: 8700787@yahoo.com  
To: weozep@yahoo.com  
Subject: Re: Caution

Dear Mario,

I will make sure they know they have to be good or else.

It will be good to see you.

I hope the game goes well when you're here.

Please give Mrs. Lemieux my best wishes.

Sincerely,  
Sidney

__________

[April 2005]

From: weozep@yahoo.com  
To: 8700787@yahoo.com  
Subject: Re: Re: Caution

Dear Sidney,

Whether your teammates were behaving out of respect or fear, they were excellent.

As was the game, which I enjoyed. You were impressive, as ever.

Have you started planning for the summer so you're ready for the draft?

Sincerely,  
Mario

__________

[April 2005]

From: 8700787@yahoo.com  
To: weozep@yahoo.com  
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Caution

Dear Mario,

Thank you for coming to the game. I really appreciate that you took the time for it.

I am going to spend the summer at home mostly, training as hard as I can and spending time with my family. I might work with old teammates too if we can get together so that we can support each other.

Thank goodness Cole Harbor doesn't need an h because everyone would recognize me there. I told my parents I'm working on my fighting skills just in case and they don't like it, but they'll let me practice as long as no one gets hurt.

Sincerely,  
Sidney

__________

[May 2005]

From: weozep@yahoo.com  
To: 8700787@yahoo.com  
Subject: Summer Training

Dear Sidney,

Spending time with your family is a great idea, and sticking to hockey for now is an even better one.

I think it would be headline news by now if you didn't work hard.

Remember to take some time to relax, as much as you can. It's hard to give yourself recovery days in between pushing, but if you schedule them in advance, maybe as a family thing, it helps.

I won't tell you not to think about the big day too hard or too often. That would be impossible and besides I never learned how to do it either. But sometimes spending time with people who care about you is training, too. If you give your family time the same dedication you put into your practicing, you'll feel better about it at the end of the summer.

Sincerely,  
Mario

__________

[June 2005]

From: 8700787@yahoo.com  
To: weozep@yahoo.com  
Subject: Re: Summer Training

Dear Mario,

I'm sorry I haven't written in a while. I know you've had too much time off but I've been so busy!

I hope you and Mrs. Lemieux are well. It has been a very busy summer.

The time off from training is the hardest for me and I talk to my friends and my family during it but I feel like I should be doing other things and working all the time on playing or on my fighting which isn't getting better as fast as I want it to.

I haven't been trying to be a h at all and I miss it.

I'm usually good at sleeping before a big game but this feels like a really, really big game and it's too far away. At least right before a game I know what's going on with most of my team and I can plan for that. It's hard not knowing who my team will be.

I hope your summer has been great.

Sincerely,  
Sidney

__________

[July 2005]

From: weozep@yahoo.com  
To: 8700787@yahoo.com  
Subject: Re: Re: Summer Training

Dear Sidney,

Wherever you go, the team will be lucky to have you as a player and in any other role you feel ready for. When you start worrying, remind yourself of that, and try to ignore the media coverage in the breaks between interviews. It doesn't help.

Enjoy the last weeks of summer.

Sincerely,  
Mario

__________

[July 2005]

From: weozep@yahoo.com  
To: 8700787@yahoo.com  
Subject: DON'T SEND THIS EMAIL

Dear Mario,

Okay I know I shouldn't be writing this and I should be asleep because tomorrow all the cameras will be there and everyone will be asking me questions like I have anything to say except that I really want to play hockey with whoever drafts me, which is true.

I just hope you haven't changed your mind since the lottery because if you have I will have trouble saying I'm glad to be with whatever team it is.

Wherever I end up I will be looking for the people on the team who do more than just playing. If you changed your mind and I hate even writing that, I'm going to ask you if you'll introduce me to anybody else who's being a superhero.

I bet you didn't sleep well before your draft either even though you knew it was going to be great no matter what, because you're great. Someday maybe I'll get used to people telling me about what a good player they think I am all the time. I know what to say, but I never know what to feel and I worry that if I'm good today and disappoint them tomorrow they'll all decide they were wrong.

Especially on this tomorrow but at least tomorrow I don't have to play. I just have to stand up straight and look like I know what I'm doing in front of the media, and I can do that on no sleep and a lot of coffee if I have to.

I've done enough late night practices and games and spent enough nights making sure everybody in the city was safe. I should be able to keep my eyes open through anything. Coffee does help.

And it's really stupid that I'm writing this because everybody in the world says everything is all set. I should really go to sleep.

Whatever happens it'll be okay and I'll do my best.

I just hope you're not sitting up rereading your emails from me and deciding you don't ever want to talk to me again and no matter what my stats are you don't want me as a teammate or someone to be a hero with because that would be awful.

But why would you be because that would be stupid. You know what you're going to do. You said so to everybody including me, and I'm the only person being dumb about it.

Everything will be great. Wherever I am.

But it won't be perfect unless I get to play with you.

__________

[July 2005]

From: weozep@yahoo.com  
To: 8700787@yahoo.com  
Subject: Please don't read that email I'm sorry

Dear Mario,

I'm sorry I hit the wrong button I was just thinking and sometimes when I can't think I pretend I'm writing to you and it helps.

I didn't mean to actually send it.

I'm so sorry.

Sincerely,  
Sidney

__________

[July 2005]

From: weozep@yahoo.com  
To: 8700787@yahoo.com  
Subject: See you in the morning

Dear Sidney,

Everything is fine.

If you promise to try to sleep, I will, too.

Sincerely,  
Mario 


End file.
